It's yet another spontaneous and highly planned Houseplant Picture Studio photo featurette...







One of the most consistent and pleasing aspects of Houseplant Picture Studio
is the consistent and pleasing fact that I personally have a true fondness for the
nearby City of Bellflower, which (like many such cities) seems to be simultaneously
collapsing into horribleness and flowering and flourishing (sort of) into depravity and sin.

Anyway, I really like Bellflower and (since I tend to walk a lot) I've become somewhat
of an expert on it's often permanently closed architecture, graffiti and street aesthetics
as well as it's numerous oddball coffee shops, tailor shops, head shops and upholsterers.

So...I was walking aimlessly around Bellflower today and (of course) I took lots
of actual photos and the following photos are but a few of the lots of photos I took.


BENBENEK
(ace reporter)









Close up of some sticker graffiti art which was stuck on an electrical box thing (Paint Junkies!)









Possibly my favorite large-scale sign ever - it's amazing that it never has toppled and caused a major earthquake









A classic example of Bellflower mini-mall signage - I doubt if there are Eucalyptus trees nearby, but who really cares?









Bellflower liquor stores abound by the tens of thousands, including the not-so-famous Frontier Liquor Deli Mart (above)









There's nothing like a vacant former Fotomat that was also once a little locksmithing business









I've noticed that many auto repair shops have closed in Bellflower, including this once mighty (and blue) garage









Another locked and permanently vacant Bellflower building which is majestic in it's emptiness and utter despondency









Yet another closed automobile repair establishment with strange Native American logo keeping guard...neato!









And finally we have some photos of Thompson Bailey Carpet Cleaners in Bellflower...









Thompson Bailey Carpet Cleaners is now closed, but the huge nice sign is still intact...but rotting away in the elements.









And the huge and large and rectangular clock attached to the main sign is permanently tolling 10:50 (or 11:50)









Nothing like a nicely hand-painted sign to bring in the eager but now non-existent customers...









Oh, it's a quick note left by the owner (George) on a dry-erase board...

















SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE FROM THE ARCHIVES